Tales of Light
by animefreak1457
Summary: AU After Kei's grandfather died, Kei Takishima tries to repair relations with the people who hated the Takishima family. Now, he finds himself traveling with Hikari Hanazono just to repair a vehah ring, and this journey was more than what he was expecting
1. The Journey has Begun

**Me: All right! I have decided to make an AU story! This is my first AU story, and I totally have good ideas and plots.**

**CTE: Usually, those plots are very confusing, and you have to get someone to read your story in order to get it going.**

**Me: …!**

**CTE: Furthermore, you have no friends who know the Special A series, and you depend on others to double check your work. Therefore, you are on your own.**

**Me: ...!!**

**CTE: Didn't I mention that you have other stories to finish?**

**Me: I'm taking a break because of college!!**

**SAN: We don't own Special A, and this story is going to base off on a "Tales of…" Series. Additionally, we don't own the "Tales of…" series. About that… what should we name it?**

**Me: … hm… how about Tales of Fatalia?**

**CTE: Like ripping off Symphonia, Vesperia, Legendia?**

**Me: Shut up! I don't have any ideas anymore since my head went dry. Fine! How about Tales of Spiritia?!**

**SAN: … That sounds fantastic!!**

**CTE: More like still ripping off the "Tales of…" games.**

**Me: Fine! Then, it's Tales of Light!**

**CTE: More like it's still the "Tales of…" game.**

**Me: Shut up, CTE!!**

**Again, do no own Special A and the Tales of... series.**

Chapter 1: The Journey has Begun

_Light was the source of the people's hope. The gods gave the Light to the people, creating a peaceful world among humans and monsters. However, humans became greedy of the Light and took advantage of the monsters and the Light, hunting down the monsters for their own desires and using the Light for their own protection. The monsters grew angry and attacked the humans, but the people had used the Light and sent them away from their homes, breaking the trust between monsters and humans. As the people lived luxurious and forgotten the kindness they once held, the Light faded from their grasp, unable to protect them from disaster. It was said that if people were to show kindness and compassion toward others, then the Light will return to the people it once protected._

The universe is unknown and holds many stories of its creation. Nobody knew how the universe is created or how there are many stars up in the sky. Many hypotheses and theories claimed that the "Great Star" exploded and created the universe by dividing many other sections and solar systems. In one of the solar systems, their planet was called "Renium" because it held three moons: One for the morning and afternoon where it is visible for people to see from the sun, one for the evening where the moon will glow red in the sky, and the last moon is to be the reflection of the sun for the night sky. Their world was once a peaceful place until the monsters surrounded civilized places to hunt and attack people. It was peaceful: birds chirping, people talking, a book was aiming straight at his head…

"Kei! Aren't you listening to me?!" Almost got hit by a medium size book, the teen automatically dodged it by tilting his head to the side. The man must have dozed off into space since their teacher hasn't shown up. The young man didn't know why he was still attending school, but here he was, listening to adults chatter aimlessly when he already knew the information from reading books.

"…"

"Don't ignore me, you bastard! Just because you are the next line of royalty of the Hakusenkan Kingdom and every thing is at peace doesn't mean that you can just ignore me right here!"

It was true that he was the next heir of the Hakusenkan Kingdom, but he is going to become the next ruler of the most powerful kingdom in the world. Rating as the top most efficient and dominant kingdom since his ancestor's rule, it has the reputation of being liked and hated by many places. There are reasons why the kingdom has many admirers and many enemies. His father had allied with the other three powerful kingdoms since he was a child, and his father is a friend of the other three rulers. Those who hated the Hakusenkan kingdom were runaways under the oppression since his grandfather had given them higher taxes and expensive items for the residents.

To prove that he is royalty, he wore a white, buttoned up in gold, and collared uniform with golden embroidery of a bird wing on his shoulder. Around his hip, a belt and a sword were attached to him just in case an enemy attacked him. He wore dark goldenrod khaki pants and white knight leggings for any traveling he must attend. He wore a silver ring with three small sapphire gems around his middle finger, proving himself as the next heir to the throne.

The blondish-brunette young man glanced at his friends. His childhood friends, Akira Toudou and Tadashi Karino, were with him for the longest time he could ever imagine. Akira looked pissed off as always, and Tadashi was down on the floor with a lump on his head, probably by calling Akira a devil woman or something equal to scary. Akira wore a violet, black sleeved, hooded uniform that matches to a hunter, and her black short pants tightened around her legs for flexibility. Her leather boots provided comfort since she was against anything that isn't styled as cute. Tadashi crawled back up to the desk and grinned idiotically.

"Now, now. He probably is getting stressed out, Akira. Oh! By the way! Did you make food?" Akira glared at the idiot, but he didn't feel scared under her glare unless her actions really meant her anger. Tadashi was wearing a forest green tunic, dark brown chest plate with side hip armor, and two dark brown gauntlets. He also wore a leather belt with two swords on his right side and a canteen attached behind him, forest green khaki pants, and unbuttoned, grey, leather boots. On his forehead were goggles over the green headband.

"…"

"Hey, Kei! Something's on your mind?" Tadashi asked. The prince looked at his two childhood friends and tried to say something that equals "I'm fine." However, nothing came out, and he was feeling tense already. Therefore, he stood up and was going to walk out.

"Prince Takishima!" Three girls rushed up behind him.

"Is Prince Takishima going to leave the classroom?" He sighed. It was just his luck. Every time he tries to go out, he was hoping to not be noticed by the other students. However, because of his status and his position of being the number one academic student, he seem to not get any alone time. The group who bothered him a lot were beautiful girls with a higher status closer to his, but those girls weren't what he was seeking for.

"Yes."

"Shall we accompany you?" He irked at the idea and shook his head.

"No." They were persistent and continued to ask him.

"Is there anything you need?" He glared very coldly, making the girls freeze in one place.

"I told you. I don't need anything." The girls backed off and bowed, apologizing and walking away with fear on their faces. Kei sighed in relief and continued walking around the halls. He sighed and thought to himself.

_It has been peaceful in the Hakusenkan Kingdom after grandfather's death. Everyone's happy and enjoying their lives, and my family has already sent knights to protect villages near our kingdom._

Yes. It has been a while since his late grandfather's tyranny rule and people becoming happy under his mother and father's rule. Two years ago, his grandfather passed away by old age, and Kei Takishima was ecstatic and relieved about the news. No one, not even he and his own family, really liked the previous ruler because he would deprive the people's needs and commented how lowly those so-called "pathetic ants" are. He had already put down the people enough that everyone would try to rebel him. However, people, even the other kingdoms, couldn't fight against him because his power was greater that equals to a god, and Kei couldn't beat his own grandfather without getting one single punch to knock him down. The last time he did that sent him to the infirmary for three weeks and confinement in his own room for assaulting His Majesty.

Now, he was free from his grandfather's control, and he was able to do whatever he wanted. He was able to break off the arrange marriage with a girl who was too clingy and wasn't beautiful in his eyes. He was able to improve relations with other countries and towns outside of his home. He was able to travel around to see the outside world without his grandfather chaining him in the castle. He was happy that he could do whatever he wanted, but there are times that he wished he could do something in the past.

He sighed again and closed his eyes.

_She would be happy to hear the news… if she was still here. It feels like there's no purpose for me since her disappearance. Man, this headache is bothersome._

As he continued to walk around the hall, an exploding sound and a large earthquake occurred in the academy, causing teachers and students to panic and wonder.

"…!"

"What's going on?! Where's that explosion came from?!"

"Oh my god! Are there monsters outside?"

"We're gonna die! We're gonna die!"

"C-Calm down, students! Please, calm down!"

"…" It was getting chaotic in the academy, and the commotion was making his headache worse. He shouted, silencing everyone in the hallways and classroom.

"Everyone, listen!" The students and teachers quieted down as the prince of Hakusenkan Kingdom began speaking.

"Panicking will not solve anything! Evacuate the classrooms calmly and orderly, and the knights and I will deal with the problem!" Under the orders of His Majesty, all the students followed the teachers to exit the hallways and out the school. The rest of the people were already outside, meaning that the knights have arrived. As all the students and teachers were immediately outside, Kei heard another commotion from outside, only that it was related to some troublemaker going _inside_ the academy.

"H-Hey! Where are you going?! It's too dangerous!"

"Ma'am! Please, stay away from the school!"

"What now?" Kei asked, feeling that the headache was getting worse. Losing to retain the calm face, he held his head and squint his eyes to relieve the headache.

"Kei!" Akira ran up to her childhood friend with Tadashi behind her.

"What the hell is going on, Kei?! Where did that blast come from?" Kei shook his head, trying to ignore the pain in his head. Whoever made the blast meant that someone was either skillful or stupid to cause the explosion in a tightly secured academy.

"It seems that it's either a bomber trying to get away with something or a monster attacking the school." Tadashi looked excited and smiled.

"Cool! Let's check it out!" However, Kei shook his head. He needed some time alone, and he didn't want his friends to get involved with this mess.

"I will see to this problem. You, two, will evacuate with the others and make sure that everyone's safe." Ignoring his friends, he ran ahead and to the cause of the commotion.

"Ah… he left." Tadashi cradled his head and glanced at his tempered friend who threw a tantrum.

"Ah, dammit! Kei, that bastard! He looked down on us!"

0000

"Prince Taskishima! You're here!" The leader knights exclaimed in surprise as the prince got to the large hole where the explosion occurred, creating a hole and a large mess. The leader of the knights was wearing a full clad\ black armor from his shoulders down to his feet. With the symbol of a white wing on his chest with five stars in the middle of the wing, he symbolizes as the captain of the knights, commander of his own platoon. He wasn't wearing a helmet, so his black hair, combed neatly, was able to let him see in full range.

"Captain Aoi Ogata. Report the situation." Without hesitation, Aoi nodded.

"The explosion was caused by a thief who stole the director's necklace. We don't know how did the thief cause the explosion, but the only way to create explosions is by using a vehah ring, an accessory that could manipulate ki."

"Ki… they are small amounts of energy that has kept this world alive. How is it possible that this thief could obtain such a powerful accessory? Is it possible that he could have stolen it from a blacksmith? Only skilled blacksmiths could create rings, and only a few blacksmiths are found around the world." Aoi looked forward and shook his head.

"It's no doubt that this thief could have obtain the ring by stealing it. Without vehah rings, we cannot proceed further because of its pressure and activation." Kei sighed.

"I see. Then, that means that I just have to go ahead without help."

"Wait!" Aoi walked up toward Kei and whispered to him.

"There is another person who has a vehah ring, but the ring has a different… power." Kei was surprised to hear this and asked.

"What kind of ring is it?" However, Aoi shook his head.

"I'm sorry. The pursuer was too fast for me to see the ring or his face. I'm not sure if the pursuer is a friend or foe, but he seemed angry and followed the thief." Kei was sort of suspicious. He never heard such a vehah ring since a certain family's escape and disappearance with the secret creation of the many vehah rings. It was a very small chance that the pursuer might still be _her_.

"I'm going." The captain was about to protest, but by looking at his friend's eyes, Kei looked serious and determined than ever. Aoi nodded and saluted by standing straight and hitting his chest plate. All the other knights saluted Kei and also made way for Kei's pursuit.

"Be careful, Prince Takishima." Kei ran and jumped away from the hole, landing on the roof and continued running where both the thief and the pursuer may be.

0000

"Give back the vehah ring and the necklace! It's not yours!" A high-pitched voice screamed as the person attacked the thief with a dagger. The thief dodged but was unaware of the punch coming to his way, sending him a few feet away from her. The pursuer stood up, and the long black hair swayed with the wind.

The pursuer wasn't a guy but a girl. Her red vest was tightened over her orange long sleeved shirt, and she wore a red skirt with a leather belt attached around her waist to secure her dagger in her travels. Her orange legwarmers covered her legs over her knees, and her white boots had yellow linings from the edges and a straight lining from her shin down to her feet. She also wore an orange scarf, and her left middle finger had a golden ring with a ruby gem in the center. The thief struggled to get up and glared at the annoying girl.

"Shut up, girl! Don't stick your nose where it belongs!" The thief activated the ring and just swung his hand, sending an explosion in front of her. The pursuer covered her face quickly and let the force push her out down to the floor. When the thief was going to activate the ring and send another explosion to finish her off, a swift punch hurled him away and caused him to lose focus.

"So, you were the problem and caused a lot of damage." The thief froze and stared at the new person in a white uniform.

"W-Who the hell are you? That girl's friend or something?" The pursuer sat up, shook her head to clear her vision, and looked up to see the man who saved her. She felt that this man shouldn't be involved with this dangerous thief because the enemy possessed a vehah ring.

"H-Hey! Get away from the thief! He has a vehah ring! H-He'll blow you up!" The thief laughed, feeling a bit confident.

"You heard what the girlie said. Only those who possess the vehah rings could fight against each other." Kei shrugged and took out his sword smoothly.

"So? I have a vehah ring." The pursuer and the thief were surprised to hear this and saw his left hand wearing a silver ring.

"T-That's not possible!" The thief was going to runaway, but in a split second, he saw the same girl in front of him.

"You are not getting away with this!" The thief growled, finding this girl as a nuisance. He was going to activate the vehah ring, but instead of making an explosion, the ring sparked instead and hurt him in the process.

"OW!! W-What?" The thief was baffled and stared at the ring. In the middle of the ring, the gem cracked, making it useless in battle. Kei smirked and looked at the girl ahead. Even though he couldn't see her face, he knew that she wanted to return the ring and necklace to the rightful owner.

"It seems that he's not prepared as we thought. Am I welcome to share the fun with you, Hanazono Hikari?" The girl blinked and smiled.

"Sure! Let's go, Takishima! The one who makes the thief faint wins!" As they charged straight toward the panicking thief, Kei didn't feel the headache anymore.

**Okay! Now, if you have any flaming, just go ahead. I really need to improve my creative writing since it died. I'm also planning to make two stories: this as an AU and the other a future fic.**

Now, information about the characters we see today.

Kei Takishima

Age: 18

Height: 5' 8"

A prince of Hakusenkan Kingdom who is the next heir to the throne. Ever since his grandfather died, he tries to improve relations between the people and the kingdom. Kei also searches for a long lost friend who disappeared after a monster attack, wanting to bring her to live in his kingdom. Despite his calm and cool attitude, he can be kind to people and his friends and scary toward those who rivals his love interest with Hikari.

Hikari Hanazono

Age: 18

Height: 5' 6"

A long lost friend who disappeared after the monster attack. She sees any challenge a contest and wants to beat her rival, Kei Takishima, to prove that she is number one. The reasons to her leaving is unknown, but Hikari has improved with crafting and fighting, except cooking. When a person is hurt, she doesn't hesitate to go there to help the person, and she really wants to see everyone happy.

Akira Toudou

Age: 18

Height: 5' 6"

A childhood friend of Kei, Tadashi, and Hikari. She loves to cook and makes the best food for her friends, especially for Hikari. Akira manages to beat a certain person and creates a special bond between her childhood friends, expressing her feelings more and enjoyment with them. She is sweet and lovable with fan girls and her girl friends, but she dislikes how close Kei is to Hikari.

Tadashi Karino

Age: 19

Height: 5' 7"

A lax young man who sees danger as an adventure. His mother is the director of the Hakusenkan academy, and he receives requests from her as he travels. Tadashi really likes to travel around the world and eat food, especially made by Akira. He is considered to be the moron because he doesn't act mature and receives many blows by Akira, and when danger comes around the corner, he jumps in without a warning.


	2. The Damaged Ring

**Me: Why is this happening to me?! So many papers, so much homework, so much exams…**

**CTE: This is what happens when you are in college, and on top of that, I have to suffer with you!**

**Me: It's not my fault!**

**SAN: Due to the disagreement between CTE and AF and having exams coming up, we will not be updating these two stories until the end of the first/second week of December.**

**I don't own S.A. or the "Tales of" games. I want to thank La Wei for giving me a criticism that I would definitely remember.**

Chapter 2: The Damaged Ring

"Now, since you're down, hand over the vehah ring and the necklace!" The young woman yelled at the thief. The prince sighed.

"… Hikari, he's unconscious. I knocked him out, and I won the challenge." Hikari seemed to get the message, but it wasn't what she was expecting.

"Huh? What? Wait! You won?!"

In less than a minute, the unconscious thief was already down on the ground with the rope tied around his wrists. The two fighters had made enough damage on him to knock him out, but the prince made more, harder hits to take out his anger and frustration.

"Wow. I didn't know that we were that strong." The female fighter examined the defeated enemy in surprise. The prince of the Hakusenkan kingdom stared at her in disbelief by the lack of knowledge.

"It's because my vehah ring was stronger than yours, so I was able to finish him off with a stronger force." The young woman stared at the prince a little longer, and the heir felt hot and awkward.

"Do you need something?" She frowned and walked up to his face. He was to the point of blushing because he could see her face up close. Her eyes were big and innocent like he remembered, and it held the same happiness. However, her eyes changed into sadness.

"You have a cut on your face." Kei Takishima lightly touched his right cheek and slightly winced at the pain. That thief sure had him there, and he was careless. The young woman placed her palm over his wound and closed her eyes. He was about to ask her what was she doing, but the sudden warmth touched his skin, making the pain disappear.

"There. The cut's gone!" The girl smiled cheerfully as she removed her hand, revealing that the cut was actually gone from her sight. Kei brushed his cheek again and was surprised that he could feel nothing. There was no record of a power to heal wounds, and this girl was able to clear the wound without using bandages. Remembering what Captain Aoi said, the girl had a different kind of vehah ring. Could this be the power of the ring he was talking about? Instead fighting, this vehah ring could heal wounds. The girl moved away from his personal space, but she suddenly walked around him with curiosity.

"So, Takishima? How did you know it was me?" Kei just smirked and shrugged.

"All I need was to look at someone's face and their information once. I already knew that the pursuer was you because I could recognize that attitude of yours, Number Two." "Number Two" felt a stab from his words and screeched.

"Don't call me Number Two!" Kei laughed slightly but slowly stopped, smiling at her pouting face and glaring eyes. Immediately, he hugged her and sighed, surprising her by his reaction of her return.

"I missed you, Hikari. I thought I never get to see you again after the monster attack on the village." The person, who he missed, sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I… I'm sorry." He shook his head and pulled himself away for a bit to see her face. He was smiling, happy and relieved that his long-time friend is still alive.

"Why are you apologizing? You're back, and everything is going to be great." Hikari frowned and looked down. He noticed that something's not right.

"Actually… I'm here because-"

"Prince Takishima! Are you alright?" Aoi ran up to the heir in worry with the other knights behind him. Kei released Hikari before Aoi see the moment they were having and would ask questions.

"I am well. Thank you for your concern." Aoi sighed in relief and nodded.

"I'm glad. Now, if you would Prince Takishima, I would retrieve the necklace and vehah ring to the director and arrest the girl and the thief." Hikari was surprised to hear what the knight said and wondered what she did wrong, but Kei was alarmed and gave him an order.

"Captain Aoi, this girl is a childhood friend of mine as well as a childhood friend of my friends. What she did was necessary and right, and placing charges on her good deed isn't how knights show their appreciation for someone who is doing a good deed." Aoi sighed, knowing what is going on. Once Takishima is defending one of his friends, there is no point in stopping him.

"Prince Takishima. She has completely ignored the knights and their orders to stay away from the building and took off after the thief without a warrant from His Majesty. Therefore, she must be arrested for intruding the grounds." Takishima smiled and placed his hand on Hikari's shoulder. Hikari and Aoi were wondering what he was up to.

"All right. How about this? By helping me capture the thief, this girl has my permission to attend the banquet with my mother and father." Hikari, Aoi, and all the knights were shocked to hear Kei's words. He was actually **allowing** Hikari to attend dinner with the royal family. He never invited anyone to his castle unless it is an emergency, and this was the first time he invited someone to the castle. Aoi, obeying what the prince says, bowed.

"Yes, Prince Takishima. I'll tell His Majesty." The captain stood up straight and looked at the mysterious girl.

"What is your name?" Hikari tilted her head.

"Hikari Hanazono. Why?" Aoi didn't say anything and turned around. As the captain left, the other knights left behind him. The girl scratched her head in confusion and looked at Kei Takishima.

"What's going on?" Kei just sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know what his intentions are, but I would suggest that you better be careful." Kei turn around and began walking.

"Let's go. It's probably best if my mother and father know that you are here after Captain Aoi tells them. My stupid father would probably run up to you and hug you in public." The thought of his father hugging Hikari suddenly irked him, and the evil aura emitted around him, sort of creeping Hikari out.

0000

"Kei! Hey! You're alright!" Tadashi yelled as he saw his friend walking out of the building. Kei and Hikari got out of the large empty building and saw the two remaining students on front of the entrance.

"What are you still doing here?" Kei asked in annoyance. Akira glared at him and crossed her arms.

"Well… because of the incident, everyone was sent home early until the school is reconstructed as new. Your family has sent regards of their carelessness to the director and will be doing the repairs." Kei had a vein throbbing on his head.

"That doesn't explain that you are still standing in front of the school. Just go home." Akira lost her temper and screeched.

"YOU ARE STARTING TO PISS ME OFF, KEI!!" Hikari felt left out and watched from the sidelines, but Tadashi noticed the girl who wore strange clothes.

"Hey, aren't you the girl who chased after the thief?" The girl looked at the young man and immediately recognized his face.

"Hey, Tadashi! Akira! Long time no see!" The two friends were shocked to hear that cheerful voice and immediately recognized those black eyes.

"H-Hikari? Is that you?" Akira walked toward her, and Hikari blinked in confusion.

"Yeah. Akira? Don't you remember when I helped you train to defeat the person who you hated?" Hikari smiled and thought about what types of training they did.

"We had a 50 meter run around the school, had kicked and punched a dummy… oh! And we had to carry wooden wheels to-"

"Hikari! It is you!" Akira ran to Hikari and hugged her with tears in her eyes. Tadashi ran behind Akira and looked at their long-lost friend.

"Hikari! We missed you!"

"We thought we never see you again after the monster attack." Akira wiped away her tears and held Hikari's hands.

"It's so good to see you alive again. Now, nothing can separate you from us again. How about coming over to my mansion for tea and a sleepover? You must be exhausted after staying with the monster." Knowing who the "monster" Akira was referring to, Kei glared at his childhood friend and growled. Hikari smiled sheepishly and rubbed her head.

"Uh… actually, Akira? Takishima said that I have to follow him to see Uncle and Auntie in the castle." Akira seemed to smile sweetly, but the guys behind her could feel something evil and dangerous from her.

"Oh. _Really_…" Tadashi hid behind Kei and shivered.

"Akira's scaring me." Then, Akira turned around to the boys and smiled.

"Then, Tadashi and I will be going with Hikari and Kei as bodyguards." Tadashi seemed to object.

"Hey! Wait-" Not too long, Akira's fist went flying up against Tadashi's chin, making him fly up and land in the bushes.

"Then, it's decided! We will be going with them. _Right_, Tadashi?" Unable to object, the beaten man agreed, still lying in the bushes.

"Yes, ma'am."

0000

"How come everyone's so lively?" Hikari asked when they exited out of the school and into the town.

"Well, since the previous ruler passed away, Kei's mom and dad took over and ruled over the kingdom. Ever since then, they placed everything back to normal and freed those people who are in prison for not paying the excessive taxes and not obeying the king's orders. People in the kingdom have been happy, and they are willing to protect the new rulers, unlike the time that they were forced to obey the previous ruler." Tadashi explained as they continued traveling to the castle. Hikari pondered and asked.

"The previous ruler was Takishima's grandfather, right? So, that means that people who ran away are coming back to live in their homes." Akira sadly frowned and answered.

"It's true that the previous king was Kei's grandfather, but not all people are coming back to this kingdom." Hikari was surprised, and Kei continued.

"There are people who are willingly to come back to their own decisions, but there are others who hate the Takishima family because of my grandfather. So, those people chose to not come back, despite my visits and negotiations." Hikari looked down.

"Oh." The castle was white with blue roofs like a fairytale coming true. The building had angel statues on every corner, and an angel statue, holding a jar, poured water in the fountain in the middle of the crossroads. The castle was filled with blue flowers beside the roads and around the castle grounds, and gardeners would sometimes come over and plant new ones over the dying flowers. When they reached to the castle stairs, people were staring at the oncoming group. Kei looked back to see if anyone was uncomfortable, but none of his friends seemed to notice their stares. He felt relieved and continued walking up the stairs. When they reached to the entrance of blue double doors, two guards bowed down to the Prince.

"Good afternoon, Prince Takishima. King Satoru and Queen Midori are waiting for your arrival, including the girl behind you." Hikari glared at the guards and yelled out.

"I have a name you know, and it's Hikari!" Akira glomped her friend and glared at the guards.

"Yeah! Show some respect!" Kei sighed and commanded.

"Open the gates." The two guards nodded and pushed the double doors open, revealing a long, polished hallway with a red carpet on the ground up to where the king, queen, and a small prince sat. Large pillars had been carved with different types of animals with strange symbols on their foreheads. When they entered inside, the double doors shut behind them as they made way to meet with Kei's mother, father, and little brother.

"I have returned, Father." Kei announced, but King Satoru jumped off his throne and charged toward the surprised girl. He wore a green robe, a purple fur cape, and a large crown on his head. I know that it seems unrealistic and pathetic, but it's funny. Just imagining him makes me laugh too hard.

"HIKARIII!!! WE MISSED YOU-" It wasn't too long when Kei grabbed his father's cape, making stop a few feet way from the questioning girl. Immediately, he glared at his baby-faced father with the demonic aura that made everyone scared.

"Wah! Kei's scary!" Hikari knew that this had to end and chided the angry prince.

"Um… Takishima? You could put the king… er… your father down." Kei sighed and released his dad, who ran back to the throne behind his beautiful wife. Akira and Tadashi whispered behind them.

"Hey. Did you notice that Kei listens to Hikari when she said to put him down?" Akira asked, and Tadashi nodded.

"Yeah. It only took two of us to get him in control. I wonder what happened." Hikari glanced behind her and asked her two friends.

"Hey. What are you whispering about?" Surprising the two friends, they immediately stood back up and gave her a nervous smile.

"Ah! Hikari! I wasn't whispering to this idiot."

"You must be imagining things. What whispering?" Hikari stared at them for a while and shrugged, brushing off the awkward moment. When she had her back to them, Akira immediately elbowed the idiot right at the stomach. The queen stood up and walked toward the group in front of her.

"Welcome back, Kei. How was your day at school?" Kei scowled and crossed his arms.

"It was boring as ever," Kei ignored Akira's screech of "WHAAAATTT?!!!" behind him and continued, "but there was an event that surprised us during that day." Midori nodded and looked at the girl with long black hair. With immediate recognition, she squealed and hugged her tightly.

"My precious daughter, Hikari! I can't believe that it's good to see you! I thought my son and my husband were idiots when they told me that you were here, but it's true." Let's put this into Hikari's perspective. She was seeing a duplicate of Kei Takishima in front of her but as a woman with a white, long sleeved dress. If seeing Kei as a woman, happening to be like this person, then she was glad that Kei wasn't like her or carrying out their genes. It would be freaky to the point of staying yards away from him.

"Why is mother hugging that girl, father?" The young boy asked his dad, who seemed jealous that his wife was allowed to hug her but not him. The young prince looked like a miniature version of Kei by image and clothes. The difference between them was their attitudes, and the young brother seemed to have a brother complex.

"Hikari Hanazono is one of Kei's childhood friends, Sui. She was able to give everyone a chance to have fun until your grandfather tried to put her father in prison. Therefore, she and her family had to escape and hide in one of the villages." Sui blinked and looked back at the girl getting smothered by his mother. He smirked. He bet that teasing the girl is going to entertain him during his boring days.

"Hi- no. Good afternoon, Your Majesty. It's nice to see you again." The queen released the girl and grabbed her arm, suddenly dragging her to somewhere that the queen desires.

"Huh? Wait! Where are we going?" The queen grinned.

"We're going to change you from those weird clothes into something more beautiful." Hikari was alarmed and stopped herself from being dragged, making Midori stop on her tracks.

"Wait! I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I'm sort of busy right now. I need to do give something to you, remember?" Everyone had a questioning look at the girl and the queen, and Hikari dug in her pouch attached to her belt and held out a package to her.

"You ordered a vehah ring, right? A Bois ring for your youngest son to train?" The queen stared at the package and remembered her order. She took the package from her hand and smiled at her.

"Oh! That's right! Thank you! But… I thought Little Atsushi was going to deliver the package." Hikari rubbed her head and looked down.

"Big brother had other customers that involves carpentry and blacksmithing, so he was really busy. He asked me to deliver this to you since he couldn't make it." Midori smiled and patted Hikari on the head.

"It's alright. It's also so sweet for you to do this for your brother." Hikari smiled, and Midori could see a cute version of her.

"It's what I could do to help my brother." Midori couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed Hikari and ran to her chambers.

"Too cute! I must get my tailor and dress you into the finest clothes!" Before she could reach to the chambers, her older son appeared in front of them and glared at his mother with an aura that mean that he was pissed.

"Why didn't you tell me that Hikari and her family were alive, Mother? I could have brought them here to live in their homes again if you had told me that they are alive." Instead of being in the front, the queen was hiding behind Hikari.

"Kei! What are you doing?!" Akira yelled as he was cracking his knuckles.

"H-Hold on, Kei! It's not nice to scare your mom!" Tadashi ran to Kei and restrained him from doing harm.

"Hikari! He's scary! Please, do something!" Midori cried out, as the demonic prince was getting closer. With the instincts to protect people, Hikari held her arms out to Kei and shouted that no one would expect.

"Kei! Stop!" Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at Hikari. Kei was the most surprised person because Hikari never yelled out his first name, ever. They remembered that Hikari said that she would never say his first name because it would mean that it is a sign of giving up. That was a long time ago, and they were children, too young to understand how life goes. This time, she did, and she seemed pretty mad and determined in front of Kei.

"It's not her fault! It was a secret between Atsushi, Lady Midori, and me! Just listen calm down." Kei stared at Hikari for a bit and calmed himself down, slumping his shoulders and relaxing his muscles. Usually, Hikari would get mad about people picking on her friends or cheating in contests, but when he saw Hikari this angry, Kei felt that all his anger disappeared into fear and confusion. He doesn't understand how Hikari can do this to him, but he just felt too confused. Tadashi felt him loosen up and released him, but he was staying behind the prince just in case if the temper was going to rise. Hikari sighed and lowered her arms, feeling that everything is calm. She turned around to the queen and bowed down.

"I'm sorry, Queen Midori, that I didn't keep the secret between us." The queen closed her eyes and shook her head.

"No. I should be the one who's sorry to you, my family, and your friends. I have selfishly asked you and your brother to keep this secret between us, and I hid it from my son and your friends who are terribly worried about you." Kei, still glaring at his mother, asked or demanded an explanation.

"Tell us what is going on, Mother. Why did you keep a secret between you and Hikari that Hikari is still alive?" Midori looked at her son and looked at girl. Hikari shook her head, telling her that it's not a good time to tell him. Midori smiled sadly and nodded.

"I'm sorry, Kei. That is up to Hikari if she wants to tell you herself or me telling you her story. I cannot tell the reasons if she feels uncomfortable." Kei felt frustrated, but he could somewhat feel how Hikari is feeling. It was up to her if she wants the story to be revealed or not.

"Fine." He answered, relieving Hikari from the tension. Midori opened the package, and it revealed a velvet box. Midori smiled and beckoned her young son to her side.

"Come here, Sui." The confused prince wondered what was in that box and asked his mother.

"What is in there? An engagement ring?" Midori laughed out loud and shook her head.

"No. It's a vehah ring." Sui's eyes widened and ran up to his mother's side, wanting to see the ring.

"What type of ring is it? Is it like big brother's ring." The queen shook her head and revealed a golden band with an onyx stone in the middle.

"No. It's a Bois ring." Sui looked up to his mother and questioned about it. He never heard about a Bois ring.

"What is a Bois ring?"

"The Bois ring is one of the fairly common vehah rings because it is used for basic training. It is rarely practiced on children because of their inexperience, but you have been experienced on battle and now ready to learn how to use the Bois ring. It has many types of ki elements, but one ki element would fit you if you control it." Midori looked at her older son and pointed to his ring.

"The ring that Kei possess now is the Frez ring, one of the rare rings to manipulate the cold. He has experienced swordsmanship and controlling the ki of ice because his personality. However, he lacks the experience and needs to nurture the power because he hasn't encounter any monsters and been kept in the castle for too long." Kei was offended by her explanation and looked away. When he looked away, he stared at Hikari's ring. He has never seen a ring like this because it could heal people instead of damaging enemies.

"Hikari. What kind of ring do you have?" Hikari was a bit hesitant and looked at her vehah ring.

"It's-"

"Excuse me for the interruption." Everyone turned their heads to the running soldier, who stopped a few feet away from them and saluted.

"What is it?" Satoru asked, and the knight responded.

"The Head of the Hakusenkan High School has asked you to repair her vehah ring. Because of the incident in the academy, she is furious about her vehah ring damaged and wants it repaired." The knight walked up to the king, knelt down, and held out a damaged ring with a platinum band and an emerald gemstone. The only thing it was damaged was the broken band and the large piece of the stone missing. Satoru panicked and responded quickly.

"Ah! Okay! What type of ring is it?" The knight answered with a slight of regret.

"It's a Jung ring." The king panicked more and looked around.

"This is bad! This is bad! We don't have blacksmiths who could repair a Jung ring!" Hikari noticed the ring and answered.

"Hey. Is that a Jung ring?" The king and knight looked at the girl in shock, and Satoru answered.

"Yes. Do you know the ring's capability?" Hikari walked up to the king and examined the damaged ring. She looked closely and frowned.

"Yes. The Jung ring gives the user the increase of speed in battle. It also gives the user endurance and evasiveness, and the power of this ring is the wind. However," she looked at the gem and band, "the band looks like it could be repaired, but I doubt that the gem could be repaired. You may need to find a new Jung gem instead of repairing the gem." The knight was shocked and stuttered.

"But! But! Couldn't the gems be repaired by the carvers?" Hikari shook her head and pointed out the gem.

"If the gems are cracked, they could still be repaired by carvers. However, this gem is beyond repair and must be thrown into the fire. If a person finds a small piece of this gem, the gem could cause an explosion if it is not placed with a certain band." Kei frowned and asked Hikari.

"How do you know all about this?" Hikari turned around to give Kei a smile.

"My big brother and I were trained under my father, so I know which types of gems and bands they belong to. Any type of gem can cause an explosion, even a small type of gem is found. If your gem is damaged or broken, a gem at the size of a grain could cause a large room to become an ice cave. These gems contain ki, and a small piece of the gem contains a large amount of ki." She looked at the broken ring and smiled.

"The gem isn't going to be hard to find, but it's going to be rare to find one of these since they only sprout once every six months in a location." Satoru smiled and immediately hugged Hikari.

"Hikari! You are a life saver!" Midori glared at her husband and latched herself to Hikari's arm.

"Hey! Hikari doesn't like it, so stop hugging her! She only likes to be hugged by me!" Everyone, including Hikari, sweat dropped and could only stay in one place to see the king and queen fighting over the girl. Akira and Tadashi looked at Kei and were expecting him to blow up or something. However, Kei sighed, walked up to his parents, separated them, and glared at them.

"Enough. You are acting like children fighting over a pet." Hikari growled and shouted at him.

"Am I a dog or something?!" Akira agreed and yelled out the same thing to defend Hikari. Sui snickered and answered her question.

"Yeah. You're a puppy when you stepped inside the castle." Hikari glared at the little Takishima, wanting to torture the brat if the parents weren't here. The usual Kei ignored them and released his parents. The royal parents brushed their wrinkles that were made by their son, and Satoru smiled.

"Okay. Since Hikari knows how to find the gem, I'll ask Hikari a favor." Satoru clasped his hands together and pleaded the young woman.

"Please help us get the ring fixed. I would be glad to give anything you want!" Hikari looked up and pondered. She thought about it and nodded to the king.

"Of course, King Satoru. However, I'll just do this for free. Besides, it was my fault that I damaged the ring." The king smiled.

"Ah! Don't worry! Things just happen." Hikari frowned and was worried about the timing.

"The problem is that it may take a week because I do live far. This gem isn't easy to find, and there are monsters coming up this season." The king smiled and nodded.

"Ah! There's no worry about the timing! We do have problems with monsters and bandit outside the kingdom, but… you'll accept the request?" The young woman smiled and punched up in the air.

" You can count on me! I'll have the ring fixed in no time!" Kei frowned and looked at his parents. Why did Hikari say that it was her fault that she damaged the ring? He felt that Hikari couldn't do this alone, so he had to discuss this with his parents.

"Mother, father. There is a request if I may ask." The parents looked at Kei and wondered what he was going to say.

"Go on." The prince of the Hakusenkan Kingdom looked at the confused Hikari and back at his parents.

"I would like to accompany Hikari to see the world." Everyone was shocked to hear this from him, and Satoru stuttered.

"W-w-w-w-what? What are you saying?" Sui ran to his brother and pulled his hand.

"No! You need to say here! It's too dangerous! Even with your vehah ring, you don't know how what's out there!" Hikari stared at him and asked him.

"What are you trying to pull here?" Akira glared at the prince and hugged Hikari.

"Yeah! Are you suspecting Hikari of something? She doesn't have anything to hide!" Tadashi walked behind the heir and advised him to rethink about it.

"Kei. I know that you want to see the world, but it could be dangerous since this your first time going outside of the kingdom. Are you sure that you are going through all this?" Kei made it clear and repeated.

"I said that I would like to accompany Hikari to see the world. Just like what mother said. I didn't have enough experience because I was unable to get out of the kingdom much and being protected by knights. If I brought any knights with me, I wouldn't learn how to fight or how to deal with situations that I would be in. I want to know more about the world and the places we could go to." They were all silent as they stared at the prince. Midori sighed and nodded.

"All right." Sui, Satoru, Akira, and Tadashi were surprised.

"Huh?!" Midori looked at all of them and answered their dumbfounded faces.

"I said okay. If Kei wants to go with Hikari to see the world, he will go. Besides, look at him. He's not going to listen to any of us if we don't let him go." Satoru scratched his neck in frustration and agreed.

"I agree with Midori with this. If he is going to take over the throne, he's going to know about the world through his eyes. Besides, let's take this as a field trip for him." Sui was surprised that his father agreed to his mother, but he knew that it would be best for his brother to go out sometimes. Sui ran up to his brother and held out a pouch.

"Big brother. Take this." Kei looked at the bag and took it off from him. Looking inside the pouch, there are traveling items that would help him through battles and the journey. Even though he has enough money, there will be times that he should save up enough to gain more powerful equipments or items. Sui later ran up to the girl, pointed at her, and glared with much seriousness.

"You better take care of big brother or else. Got it?" Hikari grinned and put her thumb up.

"Got it! I'll make sure that he's safe." Sui blushed and looked away, saying that he's just worried about his brother. Akira walked up to the royal parents and stated.

"Then, I'll go with them. Tadashi and I will be helping them on their journey." Tadashi nodded and agreed with her.

"Right! We'll make sure that no one could hurt them." Midori and Satoru looked at each other back at Akira and Tadashi with a bit of regret.

"I'm sorry, Akira." Hikari, Akira, and Tadashi were surprised to hear this, and Hikari asked.

"Huh? Why? They want to go with us." Satoru rubbed his neck and looked like he didn't want to say this. However, he had to say it.

"Akira's father is coming back with a vehah ring that he wants to give to Akira. He knew that one of these days that Akira would be traveling around the world, so…"

"She has to stay here for a few days to wait until the vehah ring arrives. Tadashi can't go because the Jung ring was meant for him, but… since it was damaged, we can't let you go with them. We're sorry, Akira, Tadashi." Midori finished off her husband's words, and Akira felt gloomy in an instant. Hikari panicked and reassured her.

"Akira! Don't worry! Takishima and I would be okay. We'll be all right." Akira knew that Hikari wanted to cheer her up, so the tempered woman sighed.

"It can't be helped." She hugged Hikari, hoping that she would be safe.

"Be careful. Have a safe trip." Hikari smiled and patted her back.

"Thanks." Kei looked back as Hikari and Akira broke apart. Hikari walked to Kei with a smile.

"Let's go." Kei closed his eyes and walked ahead.

"We'll be taking the exit through a different exit behind the kingdom. We don't want to attract any attention from other people, especially Captain Aoi." Hikari had a question for him about why not the captain, but Kei didn't say anything, making Hikari mad and persistent.

**How's that? I will be taking criticisms that would help me improve my writing. As reviews will be looked over, I would need a break to work on my homework and college. So, see you in the Christmas break.**


	3. The Village of Leefa

**Me: Dammit…**

**SAN: It's okay, AF. You got into classes.**

**CTE: What are you talking about? We have to go to two places now, and you can't get into one class because they can't overlap your classes like last year!**

**Me: I didn't expect it to be so hard to get in! Other than that, the colleges are now screwed up because of the budget cut!**

**CTE: AF doesn't own the "Tales of" or Special A.**

**SAN: And we apologize for the long delay.**

Chapter 3: Leefa, the Village of Earth

It was a nice day to go outside of the kingdom walls. The green grass, the blue sky, the bright sun, the dusty trail… yep. It was days that people wish to travel the journey without worrying about monsters outside. Mostly, only soldiers, royalty, and travelers, especially those who are traders, would go outside of the kingdom walls if they had business elsewhere. They would also have to bring weapons and necessary item for the journey or trade when they have to face bandits and monsters. Also, our two main characters were about to walk on the trail without soldiers or any bodyguards. Because the prince didn't want to attract attention, Kei and Hikari had to go to the other way around where only soldiers would exit. Before they would step out of the walls, a young boy shouted out.

"Wait! Big Brother!" The two characters turned around to see Kei's younger brother, Sui, running to their direction. When the young boy reached to the two, he panted and held onto his knees for support. Kei felt like he wanted to smack his brother's head and yell at him, but he groaned and smacked his forehead instead. There goes his plan to have a safe secret journey.

"Sui. What are you doing here? I thought you wanted us to have a safe trip." Sui took a deep breath and looked up, having the serious look on his face.

"I know that you and Hikari are going, but this is urgent." The young woman looked worried and asked.

"Is there a problem?" Sui nodded.

"There has been trouble in a village, called Leefa, and the knights need Kei's help to find out the problem before they blame father and mother for this mess. There has been monsters attacking that place sometime, and there aren't enough knights to take care of the situation. There are civilians getting hurt by the attack, and that village is going to be overrun by monsters. Please, help them." Kei sighed.

"So, I have to kill those monsters before they destroy the village, correct?" Sui nodded, and Hikari reassured him.

"Don't worry, Sui. We'll make sure those monsters don't take another step into the village." Sui made a face and stared at the woman in disbelief.

"I think Kei is more suitable of taking care of those monsters more than you." Irritation ran through Hikari's veins as the woman glared at the little Takishima. Kei shook his head and grabbed Hikari's wrist, pulling her away from his little brother. Before they walked through the gates, Kei stopped and turned to his little brother.

"Oh, Sui." The little brother brightened and nodded from his older brother's call.

"Yeah?" Kei turned around, smiling brightly.

"I may be suitable for defeating monsters, but Hikari is very useful once you see her helping people." Sui's dreamy vision stopped, and he blinked at his brother in confusion, wondering what Kei was talking about before those two walked out of the walls. Once Hikari and Kei were outside, the woman asked the prince.

"Hey, Takishima. Where's Leefa?" The woman asked when she looked at the prince beside her.

"Leefa is to the east. It is just half way from where you are going. If we are able to see a fork in the road, we have to turn to the right in order to pass the border of Hakusenkan Kingdom. We might run into monsters on the way since the barrier could only expand outside the kingdom walls." The prince explained.

"Really? I thought that the inner walls were the borders." Takishima smirked and looked ahead.

"The borders actually expanded further when my family and I were negotiating with the villages, providing them the necessities to survive. Since Hakusenkan has one of the largest crystals, the Volcan crystals, we provide them Veriken crystals, smaller crystals that have similar power to the Volcan crystals. Those crystals protect those villages from monsters." Hikari nodded and looked ahead.

"That's right. I heard about the Volcan crystals and the Veriken crystals. They possess a power to drive away monsters, preventing them from entering a populated area. There are also three Volcan crystals, and three royal families, making kingdoms in different areas, guard them. Those Volcan crystals can produce Veriken crystals, right?" Kei nodded.

"That's right. Therefore, those villages, that receive the Veriken crystals, become the borders of Hakusenkan Kingdom and become the territory." Hikari nodded, but she was confused about Sui's request.

"How come Sui asked us to go to Leefa to help the village? Isn't Leefa in the border?" Kei shook his head.

"No. Leefa is just recently added, but it doesn't have a Veriken crystal. There are still monsters coming and attacking the village. Therefore, we provide a large number of knights to that area before the Veriken crystal arrives to the area." Hikari frowned and charged ahead.

"Then, what are we waiting for?! Let's go help them as soon as possible!" Kei sighed and followed his friend, feeling that her excessive energy was going to wear him out. However, he remembered something after they fought against the thief.

_Hold on. Aoi said that her ring was different from any other ring, and it had an unusual gem and band. The gem is red, and red gems do not exist in this world._

He touched his face where the cut used to be and wondered.

_She was also able to heal my cut on my face, and her hand was warmer. _

His hand was cold because the vehah ring emitted an icy ki that could turn a room into ice and would probably freeze everyone. If it weren't for the band to contain its power, he would have frostbites on his hand.

_What kind of power does this gem have?_

He wondered, but his childhood friend interrupted his thoughts.

"Takishima! We have to go, now!" He sighed and put all those thoughts back in his mind after they finish a small task.

0000

Leefa was known to be a populated place living on canyons. Houses lived away from the large crack, but other buildings were near the edges and in the canyon. The other buildings were resting houses where the miners would take a break after careful digging. They were digging for gems, but all they could find were Bois gems. However, they were still digging for these powerful gems no less.

Hikari and Kei reached to the Village of Leefa and were horrified by the scene. It was chaotic. Knights were running around the village attacking monsters, and travelers were defending themselves with Bois rings. However, these Bois rings were weaker and thus made little damage on these monsters. These monsters looked like wolves, but these wolves had a dark coat and eerily yellow eyes. They snarled and drooled as they approached the knights with no fear. Screeches were heard above, and giant falcons soared above. They were no larger than ordinary falcons, but the feathers were purple and had blinded green eyes. Because the village had no Veriken crystal, the village was prey to these predators. Hikari frowned.

"Takishima! We have to go help everyone!" Kei nodded and ran forward with Hikari following him.

"Move it men! We have to protect this village under our Majesties' orders!"

"Sir! Airborne monsters are attacking the south gate!"

"Dammit! At this rate, we won't be able to hold them off much longer! We have to retreat!"

"No need to." In one slash, Kei demolished two wolves, and the people and monsters turned to see Kei Takishima.

"Prince Takishima! You're here! Thank the gods!" A soldier cried out in relief, and Kei frowned.

"Don't thank me yet. There are more monsters coming this way. Here they come Hikari. Get ready." Hikari nodded and took out her knife.

"Right!" The knight and the young woman dashed forward as three wolves and one falcon charged straight to them. Kei dealt with the airborne monster, but he also had to watch out for the other three land monsters since Hikari was fighting against three speed monsters. Hikari was avoiding their bites and sneak attacks, trying to get a good slice on one of them. However, they were proven too fast and too much for Hikari. A wolf slammed against her with its tail, and HIkari was knocked away to the ground.

"Kyaa!"

"Hikari!" Kei cried out, as he finished off the falcon by slashing it across its chest. Hikari raised her legs and jumped back on her balance before dashing back from the wolf's sudden bite.

"I'm okay!" Hikari ran to the previous attacker's side and slashed its ribs multiple times before kicking it. The wolf coughed before it met its dying end, and the body rolled away from Hikari. The next two wolves stayed together, and Kei realized what was going on.

"Hikari! We have to take out two of the monsters separately!" Hikari frowned.

"Couldn't we take one out and take the other next?" Kei shook his head.

"No. If we focus on one monster, the other monster could attack one of us anywhere. We have to split up." Hikari frowned.

"Does that mean no contest?" Kei smirked.

"How about this? If one could finish off one of these monsters and help his teammate, that person is the winner of this battle." Hikari smiled.

"So, this battle is a tie or win?" Kei nodded.

"That is correct."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" The two wolves ran toward Hikari, and the young woman ran recklessly toward the wolves. Kei was able to spot the wolf behind the other one and dashed toward it. Before it could clamp its jaws on Hikari's arm, Kei stabbed one of its forelegs and made it yelped in both surprise and pain. Hikari was able to attack and slightly stun the enemy first with a flick of her wrist. The fighting went on for a minute, and Kei was able to slash the wolf to its end. He turned to see Hikari about the finish off the wolf. Kei knew that he would have let her fight it, but the temptation of winning against Hikari and teasing her was too great. Therefore, he dashed and killed the wolf after Hikari could only make three combos.

"Looks like I won, Miss Rank Two." Kei smirked, and Hikari was flustered.

"Don't call me, Miss Rank Two!" She cried out.

After the battle against the monsters, the other monsters noticed Kei and Hikari and turned their attention to their attackers. The two held their weapons into a defensive stance and were ready to make a quick dash against the next upcoming monsters. However, the monsters noticed something and didn't attack. They all turned around and left the village without any signs of fear or anger. Kei and Hikari were baffled by the monsters' behaviors. Weren't they were going to attack them at first?

"Takishima? Is it over?" Kei observed the scene before him, unsure about the situation. He called out one of the soldiers.

"You, soldier!" The startled soldier looked around and pointed to himself.

"M-Me?" Kei nodded.

"Yes. Check the area to see if there are any monsters left with a few soldiers with you." The soldier saluted.

"Y-Yes, Prince Takishima!" He left the two behind, and Kei turned to Hikari.

"Should we check the village? We can uncover things that might have attracted the monsters in the first place." Hikari frowned.

"I'm more worried about the people here, Takishima. Let's see if there are any injured people." Kei smiled. This was the Hikari he still knew; she was still caring for other people's needs instead of hers.

"All right. Could you help them, Hikari?" Hikari nodded.

"I can. I know how to treat wounds after a monster raid, so you can count on me." Kei nodded and commanded one soldier.

"You, there! Guide Hikari to any injured people. She's a medic, so you can depend on her." The soldier bowed.

"Yes, Prince Takishima." Hikari turned to Kei and smiled.

"I'll see you later." With her farewell, she followed the soldier and left Kei smiling. Kei later put his thinking mask on and looked at the scene before him. Buildings were damaged, and its walls were cracked on the edges. Doors were broken in, and windows were left broken with cracks and shards on the floor. There were villagers gathering in one place where the knights protected them, but Kei didn't want to know how many people died during this monster raid. No. This was no ordinary monster raid like the rest of the villages he was sent to oversee. If this were a monster raid, it would have involved one group of monsters entering the village for food. It would involve five or less monsters, and it would attack humans to defend itself. This was something else. Something drove them to attack here, but what is it?

"Sir!" Kei turned around to see three soldiers running toward him. They all stopped and saluted.

"Sir, there seems to be no more monsters, but they are roaming around the village. It's like they are trying to get in for something, but something else is preventing them from entering." Kei frowned. It was what exactly what he was thinking.

"Do you know where the source is?" The soldier from behind raised his hand.

"I heard from one of the surviving miners said that he heard a growl and screech inside the cave where they were working in before the monsters attacked them." Kei wasn't surprised that there were deaths, but the description of the growl and screech baffled him.

"Growl and screech?" The soldiers nodded.

"Yes. We might have suspected that there are nests in the cave last night or a few nights before, and these monsters might have been trying to take their territory by overrunning the village." Kei sighed. He hasn't know the world so much during his grandfather's rule, and he was now making decisions that will lead to distrust of the Hakusenkan kingdom. He didn't have a choice. These monsters might be harder and stronger to deal with than the other monsters they fought in the village, and Kei has to grow stronger in order the help his people.

"Then, we'll have to retreat and move the village away from the caves. We'll send in stronger soldiers to deal with these monsters." The soldiers saluted.

"Yes, sir. We'll go announce the people at the mayor's house." Kei shook his head. He knew that Hikari will be there, and he knew that she would go against the soldiers.

"No need to. I will tell them myself." They were not sure about his decision and asked him.

"Would you like us to accompany you, sir?" Kei sighed. These soldiers were still unsure about his decisions after his father and mother's acceptance of the throne.

"I reassure you that I am aware enough about the situation. Please prepare the wagons for transportation." The soldiers saluted.

"Y-Yes, sir." They turned and left the prince under his command. The heir sighed and turned around to go to the mayor's house. He was sure that Hikari would go against his announcement.

0000

"Here you go, miss." Hikari patted the little girl's bandaged arm, and the woman smiled. The young woman was very helpful and had used so much of her energy to wrap bandages around the wounds. There were some casualties and a few severe ones that needed medical attention, but this young lady attended their needs and has done the impossible. For a lady at this age, she seemed to brighten up the atmosphere by her existence, and people said that when she touched them, the pain went away. The woman smiled.

"Thank you. How could we ever repay you?" Hikari smiled and shook her head.

"I'm doing what I like to do. Help those who are in need."

"Hikari." The young woman turned around to see the Takishima heir and stood up an instant.

"Takishima! What's the situation?" Kei sighed.

"We have to get away from this place." Everyone was surprised and shouted in anger.

"What?!"

"Why?! Why do we all have to move?!" Kei held his hand up and explained.

"Everyone! Listen to me! This village has become the nest of monsters, and the monsters outside the village will attack again if we don't move! Reports from our soldiers said that the cave has become the nests of powerful monsters that we cannot handle." Everyone behind Hikari whispered to each other.

"How's that possible?"

"It must have happened last night or a few nights ago."

"That's impossible! My husband was at the night shift last night."

"No monster that large could have passed us. We should have noticed movement outside." Hikari noticed the tension of the village and looked at Kei with sad eyes.

"Kei…" She whispered that no one could hear, but she saw him flinched slightly. He could hear her clearly, even when they were a few feet apart from each other.

"Therefore, we ask you to evacuate immedi-"

"No way!" Three men shoved through the crowd with rage in their eyes.

"You bastard! You just want everyone to get out of the village, so you could take the mines for yourselves!"

"Just when we were about to settle down, we have to move?! You Takishimas must want us to go just to take the caves for yourselves!" Hikari was outraged and turned around to shout.

"How could you say that?! He wants you to be safe from monsters to prevent this happening again! Do you not care what will happened to other people who live here?!"

"Care? Do you not know how much hardships his grandfather put us through?" Another sneered at the girl.

"This heir is the grandson of the previous ruler who placed high taxes on us, put many of our neighbors, friends, and family members into prison, and judged us for our appearance. Look how he dresses and acts in front of us! It's the same as that tyrant!" Hikari stood her ground and glared.

"He's not like that! I know him better than you do! He is much kinder, and he helped me escape to find a safer place outside the border! Do you call that kind of person who helped everyone find a safer place a villain?" Everyone behind the men was now questioning Kei between themselves.

"It's true. The prince is the grandson of the tyrant."

"But he wanted us to protect us from attack like these. How could that be the work of a tyrant?"

"The previous ruler had that same face when he was making the so-called speech of protection. Could we even trust him?"

"The young woman knows the heir more than we do, and she was the one who took care of our injuries. Does that really mean that he cares?"

"I can't decide who to trust: the men or the Takishima heir." Hikari turned around to see Kei looking away, and she knew that Kei was sad. They both didn't say anything to each other but keep each other in silence. Hikari knew that it wasn't his fault! Kei's grandfather did many bad things that nobody could forgive, but that doesn't mean that everybody could judge Kei as his grandfather. Her heart strained, and she felt anger toward the people. How could people like these become so mean to those who are nice?

"Enough." Everyone parted away to reveal an elder, and the old woman walked up to the three men.

"M-Mayor! This young heir wants us to move from our homes! Tell him that we are staying!" One exclaimed, but the old woman glared at the three.

"Tell me. Do you want to endanger everyone else's safety just by staying here where the monsters attacked?" Another shook his head.

"No, but this is Kei Takishima! He's the grandson of Kaname Takishima!"

**SMACK!**

Everyone was appalled by the old woman's action. The woman slapped one of the men, and the villages were now whispering to each other. However, this slap wasn't a taboo. It was a surprising event.

"S-She used her right hand!"

"I heard about this! Her legendary hand was the same one that saved the current king's life from a monster back in her younger years! I've never seen the same thing done this against a person."

"Even though she's old, her strength never ceased to amaze me!" The Takishima heir has heard this legendary hand long ago that saved his father's life. It was a villager who worked as a miner, and a monster was attacking his father. The other people ran; she did not. She was worried about her people and ran straight to the monster, fighting it with her bare fists before she used the pick to finish it off. After the battle, the current king recognized her and the village for her heroism more than the gems in the cave. Right now, he has seen the old woman's right hand in action that wasn't used in battles. She glared at the young men filled with disappointment and anger.

"Never in my years I have lived to hear something so foolish out from your tongues and hear something like this from my own people. These monsters have us surrounded and will attack us in any moment, and all you can think of is going against the people who saved you and protected you. Think of your family and friends living here. Do you want them to be killed as well?" The men were panicking and shook their head.

"N-no! But…"

"Then, be silent. He may have his grandfather's attitude and face, but he does not have the mind of his grandfather. If you keep speaking ill of this young man who is trying to save us, then you are no better than his grandfather." The men fell silent and stepped out of the wise woman's way. It seems that the villagers know better than to go against the woman who did a heroic thing and who have lead their village into prosperity. If not for her, they would have been scorned as a disgrace of the land. The elder walked up to the two childhood friends and smiled.

"I am sorry. We all have been through tough times since the pervious king ruled the land, and his rule has clouded our judgment toward people inside the castle. We are to blame for judging your appearance and your actions prematurely." Kei sighed in relief and shook his head.

"It's fine. I am willing to help my people from dangers like these unlike my grandfather who ignored the cries of the innocence." The old woman shook her head.

"No. You are not at fault for his mistakes. Your grandfather prevented you from going outside and see how the world is, and he has used his corrupted power against you." Everyone, even Kei, was surprised. How did the old woman know that he was kept inside the castle? Kei questioned her.

"H-How did you know? Nobody has heard about my confinement inside the castle walls expect for the people who lived there." The old woman smiled.

"Your father told me about you while you were a child. He also told me to keep you a secret until you are old enough to see the world as you instead of your grandfather. I am glad that you have grown into your own being." The old woman turned to Hikari and smiled.

"And when this young woman tended our wounds and knew you, I knew that you are going to grow into a kind ruler of this land." Kei heard Hikari giggle, and the heir blushed.

"Th-thank you." Later, a soldier ran up to Kei and saluted.

"Prince Takishima. The wagons and more recruits have arrived under your order. We are ready for transportation at the entrance." Kei nodded to the soldier and looked at the villagers.

"Please, I ask for you to lead your people to the entrance. I promise you safety among my men all the way to another village or in the castle walls until we can provide you another place to live safely." The old woman nodded.

"Yes. Thank you. Let us gather what we have left in this village before we leave Leefa."

"Mayor!" A young woman cried and ran straight to the old woman. Everyone turned to the distressed woman, and Hikari asked in fear.

"Miss? What is it? What's wrong?" The woman shook her head and cried.

"My son! My son, Ikuto, went after the monsters down at the cliff!" Gasps were heard, and the old woman began to worry.

"That's dangerous! Monsters appeared from the cliff. When did this happen?" The woman explained.

"It was after everyone was gathered at the house. I had my son by the hand and kept him with me for the whole time. After the attack, he said that he wanted to stop the monsters, so everyone could stay. I told him that's dangerous, but he ignored me and got away." Hikari reassured her.

"Lady. I will get him back for you." The villagers gasped and started to think Hikari lost her mind.

"Are you crazy?! That's suicide!"

"Think, woman! These are mothers of those monsters. They'll kill you and feed you to their offspring!"

"These maternal monsters are stronger than the last monsters! They'll kill you!" Hikari glared at the villagers.

"Then, what do you suggest?! Leave the child behind and save yourselves? If you were in the child's place and you think like that child, how would you feel when all of your family and friends left you in a middle of a monster nest?" The villagers didn't speak, and Hikari continued.

"You will feel scared, helpless, and most of all betrayed. You would be scared of dying, but knowing that those who you love and trust abandoned you to save their own lives is much scarier than looking at death in the eyes." Silence hung over the people, and Kei heard something in Hikari that he did not know. Something stung him, and it hurts a lot more than training with the knights.

"Hikari…"

"Then, what do we suggest we do? No one here has the proper vehah ring to fight against the monsters, and there are a few vehah gems around the world to obtain them in deeper and more dangerous places than this." One of the other villagers cried out, and Hikari smirked.

"I said it as before. I will go. I know how to escape in tight situations while fighting against stronger monsters while I was young and traveling with my family." Kei was now the one surprised and felt that this was his fault. Hearing this from Hikari and her survival made him both proud and sad. He wanted to make up to her for facing danger, and there's one way he could repay her.

"Hikari…" He stepped up and looked at the villagers.

"I will accompany Hikari to save Ikuto to keep my promise for you. Please, continue what you must do." He turned around to the soldier and placed his hand on the shoulder.

"This is my order. Wait for us. If the child comes to the entrance, take the child and go with the others without Hikari or me. Tell all of the other soldiers that they must protect the villagers with their lives even if I'm not with you. Do not fail this mission." The soldier stood proud and saluted.

"Yes, Prince Takishima." Kei turned to Hikari and nodded.

"Hikari. Let's go." The Hanazono woman nodded and turned to the mayor.

"Mayor. Where is the entrance for the cliff to the cave?" The mayor pointed to the left.

"The entrance is down this way. If you see a ladder at the cliff, then that is the entrance to the cliff. However, I would suggest jumping down on smaller ledges because some of the ladder are broken by monsters." Hikari nodded.

"Thank you. That's all we need to know." The mayor smiled.

"Good luck, and may the Light guide you to safety."

**Yeah. You all have heard about the discussion up there. The colleges and universities that are supported by the government are now laying off professors, cutting classes, and increasing the fee for enrollment because the government ran out of money. College isn't the reason why I am putting all of my fanfictions on hiatus. It's the days off and the workload of the classes piling up that are making me work harder. This year is going to be a disaster, and people are complaining that it's not enough to fill up the unit requirements to graduate. I'm sorry for not updating for a long time. Please bear with it. The college students and I are in hard times.**


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